"No Pants Day" a Hit in Nation's Capital

No pants, no problem. Riders strip down aboard a DC Metro train

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Bringing new meaning, perhaps, to the notion of transparency in Washington, D.C., dozens of riders boarded the city's Metro system on Sunday without any pants on.

So instead of bundling up against the January chill, dozens of riders inside a train at the city's L’Enfant Plaza station stripped down to their underwear.

A group that calls itself Capitol Improv organized the event, calling for similar pantless-commuting in Los Angeles and other cities.

In Washington, those taking part met at about 3 p.m. Sunday for a pep rally of sorts. The plan was to act natural. "No Pants" participants walked through the Metro terminal and boarded trains without giving away any clues to their upcoming prank.

After the doors closed and the train went on its way, the pants started coming off. Men and women stood barelegged among seats of stunned fellow passengers.

"What the?" gasped some innocent bystanders. Some took pictures. Others just gawked. So far, there have been no reports of any negative disruption from the stunt.

To the relief -- or disappointment -- of onlookers, the underwear stayed on. Participants did take the time to put their boots back on. You know the saying: "No shirt, no shoes, no service." Obviously that old gem never said a thing about pants.

It turns out the No Pants stunt did have a point, of sorts. Capital Improv says their goal is to "bring moments of random happiness and confusion to as many people as possible." Confusion, definitely. Happiness? Depends on whom you ask, right?

The group is responsible for other stunts. In July 2008, they played a life-sized game of Risk at the Navy Memorial, recruiting unsuspecting tourists to compose additional armies.